High School Beat

High School Beat

Senior Jake Udewitz pitched the Lions back to the ACIS Final. Photo by Victoria Hattam

BCS' Udewitz puts on 'K' clinic

By John Torenli

Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Jacob Udewitz, who pitched brilliantly in last season’s Athletic Conference of Independence Schools Championship Game at MCU Park, got the still-undefeated Berkeley Carroll Lions back to the home of the Brooklyn Cyclones on Monday afternoon with an absolute gem of a performance.

Udewitz struck out a career-high 16 St. Ann’s batters and allowed only two hits in a complete-game effort as the top-seeded Lions knocked off the No. 4 Steamers, 6-1, at Staten Island Academy.

The senior left-hander fired 18 first-pitch strikes and yielded two “slow rollers” for infield singles, according to coach Walter Paller, who has staff ace Ian Miller rested and ready to take the ball in Tuesday afternoon’s ACIS title game against Long Island Lutheran in Coney Island.

“Jacob had all three pitches working and used them on both sides of the plate,” Paller told the Eagle via telephone from the Park Slope School on Tuesday. “He’s really taken that next step this year. I showed a lot of faith in him last year and he rewarded me and the team.”

Miller, who relieved Udewitz and earned the win in relief during last year’s 10-inning, 2-1 championship game triumph over St. Ann’s, should be familiar with the L.I. Lutheran lineup.

The hard-throwing right-hander pitched BCS to a 4-1 victory over the Crusaders on May 6, striking out nine while tossing a two-hitter.

That victory capped the Lions’ perfect 17-0 run through the regular season schedule.

With a win in Tuesday’s title game, BCS will improve to 19-0 and have a prime opportunity to earn the No. 1 overall seed for the upcoming New York State Independent School Baseball Championships, which they won for the first, and thus far only, time in 2009.

St. Ann’s, which lost 10 seniors prior to the season but still qualified for the ACIS Tournament for the 11th consecutive season, got five strikeouts in 3 ⅔ solid innings from starter Lucas Mockler before the junior was forced to leave the game with lower back stiffness.

The Steamers failed to advance past the first round of the tourney for the first time in a decade.

“We’re young. We’ll be back,” St. Ann’s coach Peter Zerneck said of his up-and-coming squad.

* * *

After three consecutive walk-off wins to end the regular season, the Brooklyn Friends varsity softball team had significantly less drama in Monday’s Independent Schools Athletic League semifinal against Bay Ridge Prep.

Though they entered Van Voorhies Park without a third of their regular lineup due to health reasons and exams, and trailed by four runs in the second inning, the relentless Blue Pride rallied for a 21-13 triumph and a slot in Wednesday’s ISAL Championship Game

“We’ve been improving every game,” BFS coach and athletic director David Gardella gushed as his team prepared to take on undefeated Elisabeth Irwin High School in Wednesday’s title showdown, also at Brooklyn’s Van Voorhies Park.

The Blue Pride (8-4 overall, 5-1 ISAL) suffered their lone league loss to Irwin, 13-3, last month, but the way Gardella’s team has been playing of late, the coach believes anything is possible.

“Hopefully, the girls are confident enough. I believe in them,” he added.

Junior Julia Greenwald paced the BFS offense in Monday’s win, going 5-for-5 with two doubles, a triple and a game-high six RBIs. Freshman Taty Rosenthal pitched a complete game for the win, aiding her own cause at the plate with a 4-for-5, two-RBI performance.

* * *

The Bishop Kearney softball squad ended its home schedule with a 28-0 rout of Fort Hamilton last week as seniors Katie McMenemon, Nicole Hadzovic, Samatha Simon, Kristin Ferrigno, Amanda DiLeo, Gina Piro and Erin Cullen went out in style.

McMenemon went 3-for-6 and drove in three runs,Hadzovic went 4-for-5 with a triple and four RBIs, Simon had five hits, including a triple, and three RBIs, Ferrigno was a perfect 6-for-6 at the plate with three RBIs, DiLeo had a triple and a double among her four hits and four RBis, Piro went 4-for-4 with three RBIs and pitched a complete-game shutout and Cullent and Trocchia combined to go 7-for-10 with six RBIs.

Off the diamond and onto the track, the St. Ann’s girls’ varsity track team made history on Monday, capturing its first-ever ACIS Track Championship.

All three of the girls' relay teams won gold medals at the annual meet.

Sophomore Sydnee Henry won the 100-meter dash, breaking the school record in the process, and sophomore Margot Draycott took first place in the 800 meters.

Senior Ruby Lang took the top prize in the shot put, and senior co-captain Maya Sullivan anchored the winning 4x400 relay team by running the fastest 400 of the day. She was also instrumental in gaining her team points both on the track and in the field.

“I couldn't be more proud of the girls and all of their hard work this season,” said St. Ann’s coach Jen DiFiore.

The St. Ann's boys team came in a respectable third place in the ACIS Championship Meet, with Griffin Stevens throwing a 37-foot shot put to smash the school record. The 4x100 meters relay team, lead by senior Titus Adkins, took the gold medal.

* * *

In college commitment news, Xaverian swimmer Jason Deodato has chosen Mount Saint Mary’s College, a decision he believes will shape more than just his collegiate career, but perhaps the next 40 or so years of his life.

Deodato’s determination to swim at the collegiate level led to his decision to join NCSA Athletic Recruiting, an exclusive recruiting network that provides student athletes with the opportunity and technology to be proactive in their recruiting process.

Not only did Jason have the tools he needed for the recruiting process, NCSA also educated him on the steps he needed to take to achieve his goal. He now plans to pursue a degree in atmospheric sciences at the private college located in Newburgh, NY.

As a four-year varsity athlete at the Bay Ridge school, Jason was awarded First Team All-Area in 2011.

May 14, 2013 - 2:23pm

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